Representatives of over 20 Israeli companies involved in the development and production program for the Merkava tank and Namer armored personnel carrier today finished the first seminar ever conducted in India. Dozens of Indian companies attended the seminar. The Ministry of Defense SIBAT – Ministry of Defense International Defense Cooperation Authority sponsored the seminar, in view of the emerging needs of Indian industry in order to prepare for the large-scale procurement of armored vehicles by the Indian army expected in the coming years.

The inability of DRDO to put its foot down and admit that it could not build the tank on time and on schedule doomed the tank. India’s state of the military art was such that a new tank would out of necessity face a prolonged development time. The more the tank project dragged on, the more the tank needed to be redesigned to incorporate new technologies. The tank was trapped for decades in a development death spiral, and the end product is correspondingly mediocre.

If you have a few grand to blow through and want to make a really, really big bang then you might want to look into DriveTanks, located at the Ox Ranch in Uvalde, Texas. The sprawling ranch bills itself as the only place in the world to drive and shoot fully functional tanks and major artillery without having to actually enlist in the military or join some sort of militia. DriveTanks calls itself a living military museum. Whereas other places will let you look at weapons of war behind glass or a velvet rope, DriveTanks offers a first-hand experience that you might still feel the next day.

Chase Paczosa knew he wanted to thank veterans through his Eagle Scout project. Their service and sacrifices are what allow him to participate in Boy Scouts, an organization he joined about seven years ago. “I wanted to help the veterans, do something for the veterans,” said Paczosa, a member of Troop 212 in Columbus. He just didn’t know exactly what that gesture would be. Initially, the 14-year-old Columbus Middle School student had a plan to raise money for an all-terrain wheelchair that would be donated to a local veteran. The chairs, which have tracks instead of wheels, make it easier for those with physical disabilities to participate in outdoor activities such as hunting and fishing.

CAMP SHELBY, MS (WDAM) – One Hattiesburg man is helping to tell Mississippi’s military history through the history of the tank. Glenn Husted is the collections manager at the Mississippi Armed Forces Museum at Camp Shelby. He’s also an Army veteran and tank expert, who’s led conservation efforts on several historic vehicles at the museum. His pride and joy is a one-of-a-kind tank from 1936. It’s an M2A2 light tank that was donated to Camp Shelby in 1977. The museum is the only place where the tank can be seen.